Subaru Outback Key Replacement in San Diego

An Outback remote head key is $179 at your car, about $330 from a Subaru dealer. Push-button Outbacks take a Keyless Access fob, $259 here and roughly $500 there.

The Outback has carried nearly every key Subaru has made: plain metal, a chip from 2005, buttons in the head from 2008, a laser-cut blade from 2010, ordinary teeth again from 2015, and Keyless Access on push-button trims.

Outbacks built before 2005, the Legacy Outback wagons of the late 1990s included, generally use a chipless metal key, $49 to $89. A dealer charges close to that, so the drive is the only saving, and we will say as much before booking. From 2005 on, the blank, the chip and the remote have to match your year, so the VIN comes first.

Subaru Outback keys by model year

Find your year, and the row shows the key it takes, what the dealer charges and what we charge at the car.

Prices as of 2026-09-30. Every price includes the drive to you anywhere in San Diego County. There is no trip fee and no after-hours rate inside our open hours. All keys lost adds $60.
Model years	Typical dealer	Value Car Keys	You keep
2005 to 2007: Transponder chip keyThe 2005 redesign brought the Outback its first chip, the 4D type, in a buttonless head with an edge-cut blade. Lock and unlock lived on a separate remote, so this is the $139 chip key.	~~$250~~	$139	$111
2008 to 2009: Remote head keyThe first Outback whose key head carries its own lock and unlock buttons. The blade is still edge-cut and the chip is still the 4D. It is $179 at the car.	~~$330~~	$179	$151
2010 to 2014: High-security laser-cut key (Some 2013 and 2014 cars with push-button start take the $259 Keyless Access fob)The fourth generation combined a buttoned head with Subaru's laser-cut blade. The chip type changed partway through the run, around 2012, so the VIN, not the shape of the key, tells us which chip to load.	~~$290~~	$159	$131
2015 to 2019: Remote head key (Push-button trims, usually the Limited, take the $259 Keyless Access fob)The 2015 redesign dropped the laser cut and put the cuts back on the blade's edges, with the G chip. A buttonless $139 chip key also starts these cars and makes a lower-priced second key.	~~$330~~	$179	$151
2020 to 2026: Smart key for push-to-start (Push-button trims such as the Limited, Touring and XT turbos; Base and Premium cars generally turn a $179 remote head key)The 2020 generation moved to the newer H chip, and the 2026 redesign is quoted by VIN. Inside each fob sits a backup blade, cut in the van to fit your door.	~~$500~~	$259	$241

The new key next to the original.

Lost every Outback key?

For an Outback with no key left, we start once your ID matches the owner on the registration or title. We request the key code Subaru keeps for that VIN, cut the blade on site and enroll the new key through the OBD port under the dash.

With no key at all, each price gains $60: $199 for a 2005 to 2007 chip key, $219 for a 2010 to 2014 laser-cut key, $239 for a remote head key, $319 for a Keyless Access fob.

Push-button Outbacks from 2020 on need more steps when no fob exists, starting with the factory alarm, so we confirm that job by VIN ahead of the trip and say so if a Subaru dealer would serve that car better. On any Outback with a chip, the missing key is dropped from the immobilizer's approved list before we go. Paperwork details sit on our lost keys page.

Subaru Outback key questions

Can a 2012 Outback key be copied at a hardware store?

Not usually. The 2010 to 2014 Outback uses Subaru's laser-cut blade, its code milled as a groove down the center rather than cut as teeth, and a copy would still lack a programmed chip. We cut it and set up the chip in your driveway for $159, where a Subaru dealer typically asks around $290.

Is there a chip in a 2006 Outback key?

In most cases, yes. The Outback's chip begins with the 2005 redesign, so a 2005 to 2007 key holds a 4D transponder in a buttonless head and costs $139 at the car. An Outback from 2004 or earlier usually starts on plain metal, $49 to $89, which a dealer prices about the same. Your VIN settles which one you have.

My 2021 Outback Premium turns a key. Which price applies?

The remote head key price, $179 at your car, against about $330 from a Subaru dealer. On 2020 and newer Outbacks, the Base and Premium trims generally start with a turned key that has lock and unlock buttons and the H chip, while the push-button trims use the $259 fob. A $139 chip key without buttons also works as a second key.

Why did the dealer say my Outback has to be towed in?

Because the dealer programs new keys in its service lane, and an Outback with no key cannot drive itself there. Towing usually costs $125 to $200, and ordering a key can leave the car sitting one to three days. Our programming happens at the curb instead, with the drive built into the price.

Can you add a second fob to a push-button Outback while one still works?

Yes. Adding a fob while one still works is the straightforward version of the job: a second Keyless Access fob is $259, programmed so it both unlocks the Outback and starts it, with its emergency blade cut. A Subaru dealer typically lands near $500 once parts and labor are both on the bill. With no working fob, it is $319, the fob price plus $60.

Other Subaru models

Text us your Subaru Outback year and trim

Call or text (619) 340-1518 with the car's year, make and model. If a dealer already quoted you, send that quote over for our answer on the same key.

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